These preliminary results show that percutaneous RF ablation is a safe and technically feasible management option for unresectable pulmonary malignancies. CT densitometry may have potential for future use as a noninvasive method of following up tumors after RF ablation.

Lung transplant recipients are among the patients most likely eventually to undergo diagnostic lung biopsy. Unfortunately, these patients are at particularly high risk for experiencing intra-and periprocedural complications. Percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (TNB) has over time emerged as an increasingly safe and reliable method of obtaining lung tissue for diagnosis. This article gives an overview of TNB including its indications, the imaging modalities currently used for guidance, and the special techniques utilized in performing the procedure and minimizing complications with an emphasis placed upon the special case of TNB performed in lung transplant recipients. KEYWORDS: Transthoracic needle biopsy, lung transplant, interventional radiologyObjectives: Upon completion of this article, the reader should be able to (1) list the indications and contraindications of transthoracic needle biopsy (TNB) and (2) summarize the special techniques used in performing TNB and in minimizing complications, particularly in lung transplant recipients. Accreditation: Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Credit: TUSM designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1 Category 1 credit toward the AMA Physicians Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those credits that he/she actually spent in the activity. Percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (TNB)has emerged over the past three decades as an invasive procedure of choice for the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules. Improvements in imaging technology, needle design, and cytopathologic techniques have rendered TNB safe, inexpensive, reliable, and widely used.

Percutaneous CT-guided intratumoral immunotherapy injections are technically feasible and can be safely performed.